The clarion., 1887-09-28
WON BY LOVE.

| EEScCUu
WON BY LOVE.
''Yes, am going away" said Cyril
Danvers switching the heads off the
white meadow-daisies as he walked
| along, and glancing askance at the
graceful. girlish figure, and sweet,
downcast face that kept pace SO mod
estly and silently beside him. Away
from this out-of-the-way country hole,
where the people understand and care
for nothing but to grub for existence
in the soil, like moles, and affect to
| despise. or regard with impudent
| curiosity, everyone whose instincts
and intuitions are higher and nobler
than their own. l feel that London is
the only place for me. My talents
and abilities are lost here; no one
comprehends, no one appreciates me,
except yourself, little Daisy" the
speaker added, more graciously, ''and
my dear mother"
Little Daisy, as her companion had
called her, made no answer in words;
her only reply was glance. timid and
loving, from pair of wistful, soft
blue eyes, that sank modestly the in
slant they met Cyrirs.
He reached out, and took her soft,
little sunburnt hand within his own.
"You won't forget me, little sweet
heart. You and my mother will pray
for me at home, while l work hard in
the profession that will one day bring
me fame and fortune. l am sure of
that!" he added lifting his head proud
ly. "And you know that sketch that
i made of you when first you camep
Well, | shall make it the central figure
for the great picture that is to make
my fame; Marguerite or Madonna
probably. And when am rich l shall
come back and marry you, and show
the world the original as my own
sweet wife. VIII you wait for me SO
long, little Daisy?"
The young girl raised her innocent
eyes to his, and shook her head, with a
blush and a suppressed sigh.
1T would be no use if did" she an
swered, simply. You will have
changed your mind, l know; you will
not want me then"
But Cyril protested earnestly against
that.
you are the dearest little thing in
the world!' he said; ''and you know
L love you. Promise, Daisy, dear, to
wait for me-"
And SO she promised him; wonder
| ing, in her innocent humility, that he
so handsome and so gifted, and
some day to be SO great should
choose little country maiden for his
love, but having no doubts, in her own
simple truth, of his sincerity.
II will read and study hard when
ii. Il L.
smiles and tears; $50 that, when the
day you speak of comes, | shall not
shame you.
And he told her, half in earnest and
quite truthfully, that 'she could never
shame him;" that her innocence, and
truth, and beauty would grace the
highest station. And as he clasped
her i'll his arms, and kissed her sweet
shy lips, and realized that she loved
him, something deeper and more SER
ious than mere light fancy awoke
in his vain, ambitious soul, and for the
moment he felt that the faith of this
pure young heart was better treasure
than wealth or fame could bring him.
But being a man, he put the thought
away. For-'Love is of mans life a
thing apart"
'.She is a sweet little thingr' he
thought contentedly, land when my
position in the world is assured l will
come back and marry her. No man
could have a lovelier or purer little |
wifer'
But the world, with its batteries and |
disappointments, its promises, delu-
sions, and snares, soon effaced the |
light impression poor Daisy had made |
upon light and tickle heart; and he |
was annoyed when his mother wrote |
him, three years later:
s.Our Daisy" as you used to call |
her, is nineteen now. Her aunt has |
left her a little fortune, and she has |
welcomed it for your sake, Cyril, to |
be of some use to you. You cannot |
think how the poor child has studied |
to improve herself, for the same rea-
son, or how faithfully she clings to her |
love for you, and her belief in your |
solemn engagement My son, if you |
do not really purpose making her your |
wife, it would be more honorable to |
ask her to release you. 1t is crime |
to trifle with trusting heart, and |
such a one is Daisy's."
When this letter reached him he |
was quite impatient and vexed, and |
inveighed bitterly against 1.-THE folly |
of young girls who take a word of fiat
terry in earnestp
For l have no recollection of any
thing like serious engagement, he |
wrote, although, of course, if Daisy |
claims that such was the case, shall, |
if necessary, sacrifice myself to sense
of honor. But believe my cousin is /
too just to require this, and too sensi- |
bic to believe that man and woman
ennld he . he,
remnant of boy-and-girl Irritation. |
1t is not that any other love has filed |
my heart. / have never really loved. |
My art is my one love, and my life's |
one aim and hope is-Ambition.
And to himself he said:
MARRY, indeedi Tie myself down
with wife and family, to be clog |
upon my best endeavorsi No. indeed. /
And for Daisy, too-a poor, little SIM
pie country girl, as sweet and insipid |
as the flower | named her afteri Why, /
look at her picture here-a yeritabie |
Marguerite, with innocent, baby eyes,
and a veil of fiaxen hair-fit for a
poem or n picture, indeed, but not for |
a wife-my wifel Win she hold me |
boundp Have l ruined my whole ca-
reer by moment of thoughtless follyP"
Not If 1.-THE ruin of his whole career"
meant marrying Daisy.
The very next post brought a letter
that set him free. Ii contained but
few words, simple and to the point.
and was quite prattily written He
turned it over aud over curicusly. his
first feeling Of self-congratulation Civ
ing away 10 an odd sense of annoy
ance and loss.
''Cool enough. certainly. She
couldn't have been so fond of me
as mother thought Aud nicely
written. She must have improved a
good deal He glanced at the pic
ture again. ..Sho was lovely crea-
turc in those days. certainly. and with
proper training. and culture. and dress.
and all that. might have developed
into beauty. But. pshawl don't
know how these country girls grow
upa Freckled and tanned. coarse aud
awkward. tow-haired. ignorant. aud
narrow minded. | am we'll out of
troublesome serape, and have good
reason to be thankful
lie thought 80 In good earnest when.
In the following winter. be me NJ last
the woman whom he called sshis Fates'
st sight III her tho light aud ambitious
heaft that Daisy's simple ioseliness
had touched. indeed. hut never really
won~wa stirred to its depths. and
awaks to real passion.
tsfAux ftlI MN am ffkr fsssxf fia(farx.